The Maharashtra Government has announced a policy to rehabilitate tribal families and approximately 25,000 slum dwellers residing within the Sanjay Gandhi National Park (SGNP) in Mumbai, Deputy Chief Minister (CM) Eknath Shinde said in the state assembly on Monday. The move is expected to free up a significant portion of the park for conservation.
Speaking in the Assembly, Shinde noted that many settlements in the park currently fall within the ‘No Development Zone (NDZ)’, and courts have ordered the clearing of these areas. However, relocating residents to distant locations may not elicit the desired response from local inhabitants. To address this, the government has studied various options and drafted a new rehabilitation policy.
Under the new policy, the government intends to rehabilitate tribal families within the same vicinity. Slums built on encroached land will be relocated to NDZ areas within a 5-km radius of the park. Necessary amendments under Section 37(1k) of the MRTP Act have been completed, and approval for the revised plan has been granted, with the notification process underway.
Shinde added that the policy will simplify rehabilitation for tribal families and slum dwellers while allowing valuable forest areas within SGNP to be cleared for conservation.
Maharashtra govt to soon announce new rules to redevelop Mumbai’s ‘Pagadi’ buildings: Shinde
Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on Thursday said that the state government will introduce a separate set of rules to redevelop Mumbai’s old ‘pagadi’ (rent-controlled) buildings.
The move aims to ensure fair and proper redevelopment while protecting the rights of both tenants and building owners.
In an official statement, issued by his office, Shinde said that around 19,000 buildings in Mumbai, mostly constructed before 1960, are identified as pagadi buildings. Some have already been redeveloped, some have collapsed, and nearly 13,000 buildings are awaiting redevelopment. Tenants in these buildings are protected under the Maharashtra Rent Control Act, and many legal disputes between landlords and tenants remain pending in courts.
“The current legal and financial issues prevent building owners from receiving fair compensation, and redevelopment is slow. A proper and just redevelopment system is needed while keeping the rights of tenants and owners intact,” Shinde said.
He added that for economically weaker sections and very low-income groups, redevelopment should not rely only on Floor Space Index (FSI) incentives; the cost of reconstruction should also be provided free of charge.
